Is Japan going to stop killing whales?

I know it's not really about sharks, but wow! How could anyone that cares about anything in the Ocean not be excited about this!

Japan has agreed to stop killing whales in the Antarctic!

The BBC reports that "The UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that the Japanese government must halt its whaling programme in the Antarctic" and states that "Japan said it would abide by the decision but added it "regrets and is deeply disappointed by the decision".

Read the article here!

So hopefully pictures like these are now a thing of the past!

source

I have to say that we as Shark Diver applaud their decision to abide by the ruling of the international court and are "deeply touched by the decision of the court" It's a happy day!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
Shark Diver

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com

Waiter? There's A Cesium-137 In My Sushi

 It is the end of the world!

Forget your 2012 Mayan Prophesies this is actual "cats and dog living together" kind of doom as researchers have discovered Cesium-137 and Cesium-134 in Bluefin Tuna off the coast of San Diego.

Yes, that's radiation people, and not the good kind either.

Apparently the stuff has come from Japan and the Fukushima power plant disaster of last year. The media is having a field day and as we speak Tuna NGO's the planet over are rubbing their hands together to capitalize on Radioactive Bluefin story lines.

But wait, hold on a sec, take a deep breath and go get a cup of coffee because this is not as toxic as you might think.

Let's start by examining your coffee and that deep breath you just took.

Did you know that most American homes contain over 1000 toxic airborne chemicals that you inhale every single day?

• Toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution. (EPA)


• Most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous chemicals that are three to 70 times higher indoors than outdoors. (EPA)


• Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home. The higher death rate is believed to be due to daily exposure to chemicals found in ordinary household products. (Toronto Indoor Air Commission)


• In the past 14 years, there has been a 75% increase in asthma; 29% for men; 71% for women. The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. (Center for Disease Control)

And then there's your coffee. Most coffee for purchase contains at least four pretty nasty chemical compounds put there by the grower to ensure your coffee is free from the wild things that like coffee as well.

Not to mention any home in America built after 1986 using PVC piping instead of copper. PVC is how water is transported into your coffee machine and PVC leaches some pretty interesting stuff into your cuppa Joe each day.

So back to those Tuna. In terms of radioactivity, it's more of a science experiment then actual doom, sorry for the scare. The trace amounts of Cesium-137 are far less than the 149 topside nukes launched on American soil during the 50's-60's when towns downwind were bathed in radiation levels that would make health and welfare folks today fall over dead.

At least the folks back then had copper piping.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Nuclear Boy Japan Video - Hat Tip Blogfish

It's Monday ya'll and Blogfish has the video find of the week.

Behold Nuclear Boy, Japans simple explanation for kids on an unfolding disaster, even we get it now:

Standing with Japan - Disaster

As word comes in of the worst natural disaster to hit Japan in it's entire history, 400,000 homes washed away, refineries on fire, and a nuclear power station on the brink at Fukushima Daiichi, it's time to reach out to Japan.

Every once in a while we are all called upon to rise above partisan agendas and be - human. That statement is directed at the conservation community, whose online network, media, and boots on the ground could really help Japan right now.

Let's see who's got what it takes.

Our best wishes for Japanese people, you can donate to the Red Cross this week to help the folks on the ground.

Goblin Sharks on Video

Lock the kids in the house, turn off the water to the pool, and grab your speargun-have we got a video for you. One of THE coolest sharks in today's oceans is with out a doubt the Goblin Shark. Normally caught at crushing depths and then taken to local labs-this one was filmed, live, doing what it does best-being feaky:



Editors Note: All joking aside these critters are certainly unique.

Sea Shepherd Issues Arrest Warrant For The Japanese Whaling Fleet-"Bread and Circuses"

The Romans had a saying for what Sea Shepherd have become the absolute masters of: "Bread and Circuses".

This term aptly applies to the ongoing misdirection and political theatre Sea Shepherd has foisted on to unsuspecting and well meaning donors worldwide.

We were once supporters of Sea Shepherds seemingly tough brand of eco-enforcement. Their self styled "take no prisoners" brand looked for a time like the real deal.

Finally something would be done, changes would be made, and the world's animals saved. If Greenpeace was getting too soft these guys would changes things.

Sadly, this was not to be the case. Sea Shepherd quickly devolved from mighty warrior to theatre of the absurd and continues along these lines to this day.

The main culprit behind Sea Shepherds lack of credibility turns out to be the bloated and ego centric Captain Paul Watson and whoever stage manages his media for him.

Claiming to be shot in the chest during this years whale hunt in the Southern Ocean, and producing a fake video to back this absolute and image costly fabrication up was the last straw for us.

In the end it all comes down to money. With dollars for what Sea Shepherd is attempting to do drying up worldwide they have chosen to "ratchet up the noise" or "wag the dog" in hopes of attracting more money for further ineffectual and costly efforts to stop the continuing pillage of our oceans.

If one takes a good look at Sea Shepherd and can navigate beyond the outright fabrication of story lines, if one can leap over the growing "chasm like" credibility gap they have adopted like self inflicted wound, one would discover an ineffectual eco group that has failed repeatedly to stop any of the ongoing slaughter. They trot out numbers and make bold claims that they have slowed things down, but the slaughter continues.

Take your pick, whales, seals, sharks, fish, all continue to be slaughtered to this day, none of it has been stopped. If Sea Shepherd was a for profit company, and this was their metric for success, no one would would invest in them. Add to that anyone's ability to actually believe what they say and what you have is...nothing. A black hole for financial backers who demand success, not "Bread and Circuses".

Whale Shark Mega Aquarium-Japan

Question: Where do you hide a Whale shark in Japan?

Answer:You hide it in a Mega Aquarium..and then add three more:

It certainly beats watching a lonely goldfish swimming round its tiny bowl.This is one of the world's biggest fish tanks - so big that it's even been named the Kuroshio Sea.

Located in the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan, the enormous tank is some ten metres deep, 35 metres wide and 27 metres long.

It holds a staggering 7,500 tonnes of water - roughly equal to three Olympic-sized swimming pools. But the daddy of them all is the world's biggest fish, the whale shark - which can grow to be 12 metres long and needs a quarter of a tonne of food every week.

Only three aquariums in the world have tanks large enough to house these giant creatures.

Blue Sharks Beat the Odds?

This is one of those classic East coast/West coast stories about sharks that fail to address the overall look at the health of a species.

According to Discovery Blue sharks are not as bad off as once thought:

Although many sharks are experiencing population declines of up to 90 percent now, a new study on western North Atlantic blue sharks has found that numbers of the colorful species there are currently down, but not out.

Other reports had concluded that the region's blue sharks were declining by around 60 percent, but the new analysis reduced the estimate by half, finding that populations of the 12.5-foot-long sharks have dropped by only 30 percent since the mid 1950s, when large-scale fishing practices began in that part of the Atlantic.

Editors Note: The main problem with this story is that "localized good news" from a major new source like Discovery gets transmitted to a huge audience. The facts on the ground point to a worldwide Blue shark population that is in serious decline. Especially hard hit off the West coast where these animals have been tracked migrating to Japan and back...mostly migrating to Japan, fewer and fewer animals ever make it back leading to a virtual collapse of the adult population off our shores.

Strange Sharks-Photoshop? No Way!

We get quite a few emails from blog readers each week. Some with images like this one, others with offers for cheap V!@gara delivered to your door.

This particular image was sent in from Sarah who lives in the U.K-wanting us to identify this unlikely looking critter.

At first we said "Unicorn Shark?"

Then it occurred that this critter had to be a deep water species, and if there's anything we know about deep water sharks (we know a fair bit) anything is likely down there.

Here's what we found out about this shark:

Almost nothing except about 300 posts, arguments, half stories, wild rumors and the like. Seems this critter has generated a lot of talk and is perhaps from Japan.

Whatever this critter is, we hope it gets to be about 20 feet long and shows up on our chum line one of these days. If that happens we'll probably need a handful of that cheap V!@gara.

Japan:Greenpeace Out-Sea Shepherd Remains

As you know we have been following the 2008 Southern Sea whale hunt this year with keen interest.


First there was the Sea Shepherd vs Greenpeace war of words. The "who was more green" eco-ocean smackdown.

Then, three weeks ago, we covered the ongoing Sea Shepherd stink bomb throwing hippie hostage standoff with the Nisshin Maru.

We also covered Yokozuna Asashoryu, Tokyo's top Sumo wrestler's open wrestling challenge to Sea Shepherds captain-Paul Watson. Man, what a season!

And now, after two full months of chasing the bad guys and world attention, sadly, Greenpeace is withdrawing their vessel from the hunt due to lack of fuel.

This leaves the anti-whaling eco ball squarely in the "Jesters Court" with Sea Shepherd and their somewhat crazed crew of die hards. If we were betting folks (and we are) this is how we think the 2008 Southern Seas whale hunt is going to end:

1. Japan will start killing whales again
2. Watson's Vessel "Steve Irwin" will ram and sink the Nisshin Maru
3. Huge media frenzy

Japan: Whale Update "It Ain't Over"

As the old saying goes, "It ain't over till the fat lady sings"...the same is true apparently for this seasons Southern Ocean whale hunt.

As reported this week by Shu-Ching Jean Chen the Hong Kong-based staff writer at Forbes.com it looked like all was over with the factory ship Nisshin Maru leaving the operations area. In fact Japan officially announced to the entire world last week that they had stopped whaling.

Turns out that's just a ploy, you know, for the major media folks, bloggers, and others. Sneaky whalers indeed!

So, what's the real deal in the Southern Ocean these days?

If you can push past the non profit war mongering between Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace- here's their blogs from the front lines. When you cannot rely on the major media to give you the scoop go to the source, just be prepared to donate to the cause.

Greenpeace and here's Sea Shepherd's take.

Japan: Whale Hunt Causes Fashion Crisis

Tokyo (CMN)- Fashion editors from "The Tokyo Look Book" have declared a nationwide fashion emergency on the heels of Japans announcement and early recall of the entire southern whale hunting fleet.

"In an effort to increase sales of canned whale meat the government issued 4.2 million See No Evil-Double Happiness whale eating masks this winter" said Editor in Chief-Tomohiko Taniguchi, during a rushed press conference held at the Four Seasons Chinzanso Hotel.

"With the unexpected end to this seasons whale hunt, these whale eating masks will now sit idle in peoples kitchens. Already we are seeing inappropriate use of these masks with small children in playgrounds and in gyms nationwide".

Japans Prime Minister Fukuda issued the following statement, "The government is asking people to stay calm at this time. While our whaling fleet was unable to harvest enough whale meat this season-remain assured that our whaling fleet will continue it's hunt next year and you'll all get to use your whale eating masks".

The following underwater Onion was brought to you by Shark Diver. Whale Meat-the other, other, other red meat.

Japan: Whale Game Played Out

Japan conceded a rare defeat today and pulled it's processing ship Nisshin Maru out of the Southern Ocean whale hunt operations area.

Without a high tech factory ship to process whales from majestic sea born animals into fancy little cans- the ships that hunt them are next to useless.

"The Japanese government said Monday that its state-sponsored whaling fleet had stopped hunting after 10 days of harassment by the environmental activist groups Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary near Australia."

That's the good news.

The bad news is the Japan does not look like it will be giving up it's "Love of the Whale" anytime soon. So, we'll all be forced to watch the southern spring drama unfold again next year as whalers and the anti-whaling activists clash again over government-sponsored "scientific" whaling expeditions.

The final score for this year is:

Japan-300 whales
Sea Shepherd- 1 whale boat
Greenpeace- 2 whale boats

Japan: Sumo Champion Challenges Paul Watson

Japan (CMN) Yokozuna Asashoryu, Tokyo's top Sumo wrestler, issued a wrestling challenge to Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd today.

Known in Japan as the "Can Crusher" Mr. Asashoryu is currently defending himself on two charges of child endangerment after issuing a similar challenge to Tokyo's Boy Scouts Troop No.14 for the right to sell cookies door to door. He went undefeated in 16 matches against the troop leaving some with broken bones.

Paul Watson is currently chasing elements of Japans whaling fleet in the waters of Antarctica, where two of his crew members are being held as "hostages" on board Japanese vessel Yushin Maru No. 2.

"We will decide the fate of these two crew members and the future of Japans whale hunt in the ring of honor" Yokozuna shouted to a sold out crowd of fans at Tokyo's Staples Arena.

Japans Foreign Minister, Masahiko Kōmura, has agreed with the challenge saying "Mr.Watson should join us here in Tokyo rather than attempt to interrupt our Glorious Imperial...ahem...peaceful whaling fleet in Antarctica".

Sea Shepherd has been unavailable for comment.

This current underwater Onion was brought to you by Shark Diver. The news just keeps getting stranger.

Whale War Update:Australia Sends in Vikings

Who even knew Australia had a navy?

Turns out they do and today they sent the good ship Oceanic Viking to the rescue of two protesters from Sea Shepherd who are being "held hostage" on board a Japanese whale ship.

CNN--Australia has sent a customs ship to retrieve two activists who were seized by a Japanese whaling vessel, the country's foreign minister said. The transfer, if successful, would end a tense two-day standoff in Antarctic waters.The Australian ship, the Oceanic Viking, was within sighting distance of the Japanese whaler Thursday.

So that just leaves us with one question: What Now?

Japans whaling fleet is on target to harvest 1000 whales this year, thus far they have only taken an estimated 300. Regardless of this "hostage drama" side event which has all the earmarks of a classic "don't taze me bro" moment, the question remains, how to stop another 700 whales from being slaughtered this year?

As always we'll keep you updated.

High Seas Drama or High Seas Drama Queens?

As we feared the high seas drama that is Japans 2008 Southern Seas Whaling Expedition has taken a turn for the bizarre today.

Crews from the Steve Irwin-the all black Vader-esque anti-whaling chase boat owned by Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd has made contact with Japans whaling fleet and the Yushin Maru.

What has transpired is something right out of Moby Dick. Turns out members of the Steve Irwins crew have been lashed to the main mast of the Yushin Maru in "freezing conditions" and not even allowed the basic rights to a hot chocolate with marshmallows on top- a time honored right granted to them under the Third Geneva Convention of 1949.

Naturally, this event has caused a minor international incident and the news media is running like a panicked herd of Wildebeast with this "high seas drama" story.

In our book anything that causes even the casual media reader to stop and say "wait a minute" is good media. As far as the anti-whalers are concerned their position can be summed up with the following quote from good old Captain Ahab and Khan from Star Trek:

"No. No, you can't get away. 'From Hell's heart... I stab at thee. For hate's sake I spit my last breath... at thee'."

The fine whaling folks in Japan should reconsider whaling as a vocation and also reconsider the taking of hostages-that's so 1980's.

The Great Whale War-Greenpeace vs Sea Shepherd

Can't we all just get along?

It would seem that's not the case-at least in the aptly named "Cooperation Sea" located some 4500 hundred kilometres southwest of Fremantle. Currently two ships are vying for the right to harass Japans illegal whaling fleet...and both sides are hurling verbal harpoons at each other harder than Queequeg on the bow of the good ship Pequod.

In one corner Sea Shepherd know for their "take no prisoners" brand of eco-enforcement, and by that we mean they actually sink ships. In the other corner Greenpeace the long time anti-whalers from the 1970's. Both groups have a long shared history and both groups for all intents have come to hate each other with a passion you would think they reserve only for the whalers they are chasing.

One look at their competing whale blogs and it would seem that Japans whaling fleet has nothing to worry about. If these two ships, the Esperanza and Steve Irwin, come in close range with each other it's going to be an eco smackdown on the high seas.

For our money, we're going with the Steve Irwin-Sea Shepherds boat. They have this nifty little item called a "Can Opener" which is designed to open up the side of a whaling vessel faster than zippers on prom night. We'll keep you updated.

Sperm Whale Hunt Closed-Japans Fleet Turns Back

TOKYO, Japan (CNM) -- Researchers aboard Japanese whaling vessels have "completely halted" their much-criticized hunt for Sperm Whales in the seas near Antarctica, after finding "something unusual" in a freshly harvested whales stomach.

"On Monday we received frantic reports of a human like form inside a whale", said the chief Japanese government spokesman Hachimura Mobutatka.

Sperm Whales are known to feed on Giant Squid in Antarctic waters and remains of these massive cephalopods as long as 120 feet have been recovered.

Meanwhile, the International Whaling Commission, having received the same "stunning reports", have halted all whaling activities in Antarctica by it's members.

The IWC chairman has asked Japan not to hunt Sperm whales in the foreseeable future until lab tests are completed on the "human like form" found inside the dead whale.

"We're happy about the whaling fleet pull out, amazed by the news...and just a little bummed", said David Greenwright spokesman for the Environmental Whaling Coalition. The groups members had planned to put themselves between harpoon and whales, using water jets to block harpoon shots. "Now we're back in New Zealand with nothing to do".

This latest underwater Onion was brought to you by Shark Diver If it's safe to go in the water, we'll tell you!